COCHRANE – Detour Gold has passed a significant milestone, pouring its first four bars of gold at its Cochrane-area mine. There were a “few moist eyes in the room when that bar came out,” said Drew Anwyll, general manager at Detour Gold.

The four bars were approximately 2,000 ounces of gold. The mine, which has been under construction for the last 26 months, is now reaching a different level of operations. “We moved from an exploration company into an operating mine,” said Anwyll.

He said he along with company president Gerald Panneton and senior vice-president Pierre Beaudoin have been receiving accolades for the mine’s startup but it really comes down to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been a part of the whole process.

“It was a great day for the entire team and was a result of the hard work from the employees, contractors and everyone involved,” Anwyll said. “I’d also like to especially thank the Cochrane community as well.

“We’re all very proud to be part of the community. We’ve developed great relationships and I’m looking forward to building some great partnerships in the years to come.”

Cochrane residents make up a quarter of the Detour Lake mine employees.

Once it is in full production, the mine is expected to produce an average of 657,000 ounces of gold annually for the next 21½ years.

This year the mine is expected to pour up to 400 thousand ounces of gold.

“Pouring of the first bars is really the first step on a journey that doesn’t stop for quite a while,” said Anwyll.